Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I have grown tired of reading people complain that the Wii U will fail because they think looking at a 2nd screen will be too much for them.This is by far the stupidest argument against the Wii U for any adult. We are constantly engaged in more than a single screen at once, so why is this too much?To drive a car safely, you must constantly monitor as many as 6 "screens" at once which are offering you a variety of data that needs to be considered. Rearview mirror, side-view mirrors, dashboard, GPS, and the main windshield. That's not to mention the side windows we use to check blindspots. Oh, and for those of us who choose to, texting while driving adds yet another screen, even if it's illegal in my state as well as many others.Perhaps some people can't handle all that safely, and they choose not to drive. However, to handle just one more screen, I think most of us can handle it without breaking any undo sweat.In all fairness, perhaps I see this as not that big of a deal due to my constant multitasking that I currently undertake, watching TV or movies while posting on my blog for one. My computer screen is often cramped with too many windows open at once as I juggle multiple tasks. I once had my parents basement set up in what was lovingly deemed ADD central, 3-4 TVs running at once, usually with at least 2 constantly playing Simpsons or Adult Swim as I played video games on a 3rd, while offering advice to a friend playing something else on the 4th. It really is just nostalgia at this point as we only have 1 TV in our apartment now. And as much as things change, they stay the same. We may only have 1 TV, but my wife and I each have our own laptops we use, and the iPad, and her old laptop that occasionally comes out, then our smartphones. When I count those up, I may have surpassed ADD central with the various new devices powering our living room.Needless to say, the Wii U will fit right in.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

While I have only gotten my hands on the in-store demo of Rayman so far, but the potential of multi-screen gaming has been enticing to me since before the Wii U was announced at E3 2011.

My favorite example of multi-screen gaming to this point is PacMan Vs. for the GC. It utilized the GBA as a second screen for one player to play as PacMan, and the other three played on the TV as the ghosts with a limited view directly around their character. It was one of the best games for the GC and I hope to see a port on the Wii U sometime soon.

Now as I've pre-ordered the Deluxe edition of the Wii U, I'm going to try to make the most of the Deluxe Digital Promotion. That said, I'm most likely going to try to download everything for my Wii U, at least till it ends in December of 2014, unless I can get a really awesome deal on physical games.

I thought I would breakdown which games I'm looking most forward to and why. That doesn't mean I won't get other games before some of these, but as there are no reviews out yet, this is all I have to go on.

Let's jump on in then!

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: I've logged over 800 hours on Tri since my original Wii became corrupt and had to be sent away. That doesn't even include the hours spent before! This is roughly twice the content of Tri, including a bunch of new monsters and sub-species, new weapons (ok old to the series, but missing from Tri), new areas, new armor, new weapons, new quests, and a whole difficulty (called G rank). To put it lightly, I will get well over 1000 hours of gameplay out of this one game alone. A worth while gaming investment, but as my brother is getting his Wii U purely to play this game, it will be one of the most enjoyable as well. The joy of hunting monsters together really is quite rewarding. This is the only game that I can confidently say "I WILL BE BUYING" regardless if it's only available in physical form. I'm looking for it March of 2013.

Little Inferno: Made by an indie development team which contains members of 2DBoy, this just looks like it's going to be lots of fun. Do I know the purpose of this? Nope. Do I know what you will do? NO CLUE! Will it be awesome? You can bet your hat! Just watch that teaser and tell me you don't want to know more! Plus, I'm all about encouraging indie developers.

Game and Wario: I have loved the WarioWare series since the GC days! There has only been one bad game in the series. They are always silly but super fun games of the most frantic sort. The potential of the Wii U gamepad with such an eclectic collection is sure to be amazing!

Trine 2: Director's Cut: Another indie game, this one is a remake of the critically acclaimed puzzle platformer with some extra levels and powers to use when switching between your knight, wizard, and thief.

Cloudberry Kingdom: Yet another indie game, this one is a multiplatform release which should launch soon. Only Betas are out right now. The game is a product of an AI they built to randomly generate 2D platforming levels in the same vein as Mario. It goes the gambit from easy to the masochistic. Despite what initial shock comes from looking at those levels, each and every level can be done.

Rayman Legends: Yet another Rayman game, but this one is designed to make use of the Wii U gamepad. The musical levels sold me on this one! I'm looking forward to the great multiplay action this game is bound to be addictive!

Zombie U: Touted as the Hardcore game for the Wii U. Sure there will be other hardcore games to play as well, but this is the only one at launch that is an exclusive to the Wii U. Permanent deaths make the experience you gained extra painful as you have to go back out to slay your zombified former avatar who is still holding your items. Designed from the ground up to make use of the Wii U gamepad, this one I'm keeping my eyes close on.

New Super Mario Bros. U: It is a new 2D Super Mario game, so you know it's going to be good. No question about that, and most likely to be available in Digital form on day 1.

Aliens Colonial Marines: While there are lots of games that will be released on the PS3, 360, and Wii U, this one is potentially going to be one of the best! Just the way they plan to make use of the gamepad is going to make the Wii U version superior to any other. Plus, it's Aliens! Not just any alien, but Aliens Aliens!

Mighty Switch Force! HD: Another remake, this one from the 3DS, with redrawn animations, new content, and the like. Track down the bad guys and make it to the end of the stage before time runs out or you take 3 hits. You can jump, shoot, and push blocks in or out of the background to further your progress.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Yet another port, but with enhanced features. The Tekken series has been one of the best fighters around and my 2nd favorite 3D figheter. Sure I prefer the Soul Calibur series, but Namco isn't offering me that.

Scribblenauts Unlimited: The original game in this series was amazing! You had to solve puzzles with your imagination and whatever you could think of. Super Scribblenauts moved away from the puzzles a bit, and I'm afraid that this one may stray too far from those puzzles as well. The ability to make anything you want really is a fun concept though. Going to have to try this one myself before I make the commitment of buying it though.

While I would love to get more games, these are probably going to be more than I can afford both in money as well as in time to spend on them. At least for the time being.